Taylor Armstrong to reportedly be phased out of 'Real Housewives'

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/13/2012

Taylor Armstrong will reportedly be phased out of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills during the reality series' upcoming third season.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Producers reluctantly decided to sign Taylor for the next season and I think a lot of their decision was based purely on the fact that they felt bad just dumping her after all she went through last year," a source told RadarOnline, referencing how Armstrong's late husband Russell Armstrong committed suicide in August about a month after Taylor filed for divorce.

"But, they are definitely looking to phase her out of the show gradually. The feeling is that Taylor won't really be bringing much to the table and that she's not needed anymore."

Armstrong openly discussed Russell's suicide following the incident and claimed he allegedly abused her throughout their six-year relationship.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star subsequently released a memoir detailing the alleged physical and verbal abuse entitled Hiding from Reality: My Story of Love, Loss, and Finding the Courage Within -- a move which apparently upset some of her fans.

"Producers don't feel she's particularly a sympathetic character and that she lost a lot of people's respect by bringing out a book about the physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her late husband Russell Armstrong following his death, and that she basically cashed in on his suicide," the source said.

"Everyone's concerned that without the marriage drama she's just going to come across as dull. It's unlikely that she's going to be able to start publicly dating again so soon after Russell's death and with her money troubles she's unlikely to be leading any kind of aspirational lifestyle, so she's basically not really going to have any interesting hook."